City of Shattered Hearts
by WordsHaveThePower
Summary: Set after City Of Heavenly Fire. Things finally seem to be at peace. Jace and Clary are falling deeper in love, Sebastian is finally gone, and Simon is on his way to regaining his memory. But when the Seelie Queen finds out that Clary was responsible for the death of her beloved Sebastian, she will do anything it takes to get her revenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Do not read this story if you have not read City of Heavenly Fire yet! Otherwise, enjoy :) This is my first fanfic, so feedback is more than welcome.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series (unfortunately).**_

**Prologue**

The Seelie Queen never enjoyed the company of Shadowhunters. To her, they were dull and stupid creatures, but they were great playthings. It was such fun to get involved in their lives and create such a long spiral of drama and confusion that it would take them years to get everything sorted out. Her particular favorites were the Lightwoods and that Fray/Morgenstern child. They were just so gullible, and they made the same mistakes over and over again. They were so predictable, and that's what made the Seelie Queen's little game so much fun. Jace Lightwood was a fine specimen as well, and the Seelie Queen had an eye for beautiful things. That's how she became acquainted with Sebastian. He was broken and mysterious in such a beautiful way that the Seelie Queen just couldn't help herself. She had had flings like these before, picking random mundanes or Downworlders from the streets and bringing them to her bed, but Sebastian was different. Sebastian always came back. The Seelie Queen knew she was more interested in Sebastian than she should be, but she couldn't stop herself. She gave him her whole entire army, her services, anything Sebastian asked. She was infatuated with him. So when news came around that her beloved Sebastian died at the hands of Clarissa Morgenstern, cold revenge was the only thing that echoed around the Seelie Queen's mind. And the Seelie Queen was very good at revenge.

**Chapter One**

Sometimes Clary wished that she had never discovered she was a Shadowhunter. There were plenty of times where she found herself missing her old life, the simplicity of it all. Prom was coming up at her old high school, and she knew that if things were normal she would have been going with Simon. _Simon_. The name brought a lump to her throat. Her best friend, who had been with her through everything, could barely remember a thing. She should be thankful that Simon at least remembered her. Bits and pieces of his memory were coming back to him, but it was all too slow of a process. It hurt to look at him, and know that the only reason he lost his memory was because of her. He gave up everything for her. And what did she ever do for him? She broke his heart, for goodness sake. She was a terrible friend, and the guilt welled up inside of her stomach every time she thought about it. Luckily, Isabelle was always with him, always there to hold him when he scrunched up his face because a new memory was coming back to him. It was a lot on Simon, to have to gain so many new memories as well as handle the shock of all this new information. And, on top of it all, he was training to be a Shadowhunter too. Clary couldn't believe it. Her best friend was going to be a Shadowhunter. Whenever she thought this, it always put Clary in a much better mood and allowed the guilt to subside, if only for a bit.

Currently, Clary was stuck in the Institute's library, trying to catch up on all the Demonology lessons that Alec had thrown at her last week. You'd think that because things were finally winding down and nothing was threatening anyone's life, she could at least take a break, but oh no. Alec was a tough teacher, but she had to admit he was good at what he taught. She had never learned as much from any of her public school teachers. At the moment, though, she was having a really hard time concentrating because her back was killing her from sitting still for so long. She also caught her mind wandering to what Jace had planned for them tonight. Seeing she was going no further with her lessons, she decided it was best if she took a break. Clary gathered all her books and papers, and was just about to leave the library when she ran into something hard. Strong arms wrapped around her before she could tumble to the ground, and Clary looked up to meet a pair of gold eyes.

"Anxious to get somewhere, I see. You got a hot date or something?" Jace looked down at her with his signature smirk.

Clary rolled her eyes. She felt like she did a lot of eye rolling when it came to Jace. "Yep. Simon and I are giving it a second chance. He hasn't told Izzy yet, so don't say anything. But I think I'm really into him. I mean, he might even be the one."

Jace narrowed his eyes playfully. "Is that so?"

Clary nodded her head. "So if you don't mind," she said, "I should really be getting ready."

Jace's hand grabbed Clary's wrist before she could squeeze out of the doorway. "You can wait a few more minutes," Jace said, as he leaned down to kiss her.

However, Jace never got the chance to close the space between them, for just then Isabelle appeared out of nowhere.

"Clarissa Fray, where have you been? You know you've got a date with Jace tonight, so how in the Angel's name am I going to get you all dressed up for him when you two are making out in the library?" Isabelle had her arms crossed and was looking accusingly at Jace, who once again was smirking. Clary, however, was blushing furiously, and was beginning to mutter something about how Isabelle could go stick her intruding nose somewhere anatomically impossible.

Jace being Jace, however, pushed Clary towards Isabelle with a wink. "Have fun, Clarissa. Not too much fun, of course. Save that for me."

Clary didn't think it was possible, but she blushed an even darker shade of red. The Lightwoods really were getting to her today. Sometimes she wondered why she even put up with them. But when Isabelle dragged her to her room and started yanking out fifty dresses from her overstuffed closet, Clary couldn't help but realize that she would be nowhere without them.

"Oh, Clary, this will look perfect with your hair! Your eyes too." Isabelle held up a small black dress that, for once, wasn't going to look like a second layer of skin. It had off-the-shoulder straps and a tight bodice, but the skirt was a soft A-line cut that would definitely flatter Clary's figure. "Pair this with some black pumps, and you'll basically be screaming to Jace, 'Take me now, hot stuff.'"

"Izzy!" Clary shrieked, but took the dress and threw it on anyway.

"What? It's true. All teenage guys have the same mind, I swear."

Clary smiled. Isabelle finished up Clary's hair and makeup, pinning a few strands of Clary's hair back in an attempt to keep the natural look but still tame the mess that was Clary's red curls, while going a little bit bolder with the makeup, keeping the eyes simple with black eyeliner and mascara but using a dark shade of wine on her lips. When Clary looked at herself in the mirror, a burst of confidence shot through her. She had to admit, she looked pretty sexy. "Thanks, Iz."

"No problem. And as usual, I want to know all the details. Just making sure my amazing talents receive a reward. And of course, if Jace is anything other than a gentleman, I will be the first in line to smash him to a pulp," Isabelle said.

Clary giggled. "You are _such_ a creep."

"You know you love me," Isabelle smiled. "Now come one. Jace is waiting downstairs."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Isabelle made Clary wait. "Jace, you there?"

"No," Jace replied.

"Don't get sarcastic with me, young man, or I'll march Clary right back upstairs to my room and you won't see her for the rest of the night. And trust me, you're going to want to see her." Clary could almost hear Isabelle's suggestive wink.

Jace grinned. "Can't wait."

Clary heard a sigh, and then Isabelle called out, "Come on, Clary." Clary stepped around the corner, and saw Jace in a white button down and dark jeans with a black sports coat thrown over his shoulder. He looked like a model, as always, and she couldn't help but smile up at him. She still couldn't believe that Jace was _hers_. When she looked into his eyes, she grew a little more self conscious as she watched him look over her whole body. His grin was lazy when he met her eyes, and his golden eyes held a hint of lust in them, but were mostly filled with an overwhelming amount of awe and love.

"You look so beautiful," he whispered, and even though Clary knew that was the most overused sentence in all of history, her heart couldn't help but skip five or six beats before starting back up again.

Clary would have been content with just staring at Jace for the rest of the night, but Isabelle soon had them rushing out the door with a "Stay safe, kids!"

Jace took her hand as they walked down the street. "So, where exactly are we going, Jace?"

"Not sure. I was thinking about hitting a few strip clubs before heading to some sort of bar afterwards."

"Jace, I'm being serious."

"Me too."

Clary smacked his shoulder and yanked her hand out of his. At first Jace was worried that he had taken things too far, but then he noticed the mischievous glint in her green eyes.

"Alright then. Guess I'll just see you later." She turned around and began walking back towards the Institute, purposefully swaying her hips from side to side. Before she had even taken ten steps, Jace was behind her and scooping her up in his arms.

"Fine. I'm taking you to dinner in Central Park, you little vixen," Jace said, kissing her cheek.

"Put me down," Clary giggled.

"No way. I like _this_ much better," Jace said, and refused to put her down even when Clary began kicking her legs around in an attempt to get him to drop her. Clary was laughing so hard her sides hurt, and she loved being able to feel so care-free, like a normal teenager for once. She didn't have to worry about her mentally messed up father or her half-demon brother or any demons at all for that matter, so she filled her mind, like any almost 17 year old would do, with thoughts of her golden-haired boyfriend as he carried her to Central Park.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for all the kind feedback about my story! It really means a lot to me that you guys are loving this story so much. I will try to do the best I can to keep updating. I have no idea how long this story is going to end up being...I'm honestly just going to let it unravel as I go along. And of course, if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. :)  
Also, fair warning, this chapter is a little bit mushy, but oh well. May or may not rewrite it. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series. **_

**Chapter Two**

Central Park was always so beautiful at night. During the day, it was filled with people: tourists trying to get their fill of classic New York City, parents enjoying the weather, kids running around in their own made-up worlds, friends gathered for some gossip and a good tanning session. But at night, it was a little more peaceful - at least, as peaceful as New York City ever got. The never ending growl of engines still echoed through the air, but it was quiet enough so that Clary could pretend she could hear birds calling good night to each other. Honestly, she couldn't have been happier that Jace had taken her here.

They sat down underneath a tree where a blanket and a picnic basket had been conveniently set up for them previously.

"Someone was anxious for tonight," Clary commented with a sideways glance at Jace, who was sitting next to her and pulling out various foods from the basket.

"I was. In fact, I was pacing my room for two hours, palms sweating, hating every article of clothing in my closet, while listening to whatever crappy music people listen to nowadays," Jace replied.

Clary sighed and looked up towards the starless sky. "Are you ever not sarcastic?"

"You love it."

"On the contrary," Clary muttered.

"Plus, I come with this incredibly hot body."

"Jace," Clary said, "please be quiet. I am trying to enjoy myself, and you are making it especially hard."

For once, Jace didn't respond. He simply wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer to him. Clary closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Jace. When they had first started dating, they had rarely gotten moments like this. They were either too busy trying to save the world and not get killed, or Jace was being annoyingly sarcastic and ruined the moments as soon as they came. It was nice to be able to just sit with him in a park and not have to worry about anything else.

"I love you, Clary," Jace whispered, so quiet she barely caught it.

Clary's heart began pounding unnecessarily loud and she smiled to herself. "I love you, too."

It took Clary a few minutes to realize her phone was ringing. She grabbed it out of her small purse and answered. "Hello?"

"Clary. You need to come back. Now. Simon's having another fit, and I really...I really... By the Angel, I just really need you here right now," Isabelle said. She sounded close to tears, and Isabelle was never close to tears. Isabelle was probably one of the strongest people Clary had ever met, but she had one Achille's heel, and that was Simon. Sometimes, when the memories were too much for Simon's mind, he would go into small fits, screaming because it was a particularly bad memory, break things in frustration because the memory was too confusing, and sometimes just staring at walls murmuring words only Simon could understand. Everyone was scared, but Isabelle and Clary were always most affected because they had been closest to Simon. In a way, this had brought Isabelle and Clary closer than they had ever been before. There were times when they stayed in Isabelle's room and talked all night after one of Simon's fits because they were too afraid to find out what nightmares would find them if they went to sleep. It was a weird way to become best friends, but Clary was glad at least one person could understand what this felt like.

"Okay, I'm coming." Clary ended the call and stood up. "I'm really sorry, Jace, but we have to go back. It's...Simon." The last word came out much quieter than she had intended it to.

Jace immediately jumped up and grabbed the blanket and the basket. He knew how hard this was for Clary, and he hated to watch as she struggled to calm her best friend down, to try to bring him back to the present. He would watch the heartbreak glisten in her eyes, and he wanted to punch something. He wanted to leave the room and hunt down more demons than he would be able to keep count of. Jace knew there was nothing he could do to comfort Clary, and that was always the hardest part. When he watched Clary, with her shoulders hunched over and her head down, walk into Isabelle's room with Izzy hugging her and shut the door, because _Isabelle_ was the only one Clary would want to talk to.

He quickly called a cab and they rushed to the Institute. Clary was quiet the whole way home. She was mentally preparing herself for the scene that lay ahead of her. Usually, Isabelle was able to take care of Simon if Clary was gone, so Clary knew it was bad if Isabelle was calling Clary in the middle of her date for help.

"I'm sorry," Jace said, breaking the silence.

Clary just shook her head and took his hand. She didn't feel like talking.

When they reached the Institute, Clary rushed up the stairs and through the doorway. "Isabelle!" she called.

"In here," came a voice from the kitchen.

Clary took a breath and braced herself. When she entered the kitchen, she had to take a step back. Simon was sitting on the floor, holding his head and sobbing. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was a mess. His glasses were lying shattered on the floor. Isabelle was crouching down next to him, calling his name over and over again. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"Simon?" Clary called timidly.

"Mom!" Simon shouted. "Mom, you can't do this! I'm Simon, Simon! I'm your son, I'm your..." He broke off and began rocking back and forth.

Clary's eyes met Isabelle's. "I think he's remembering the night he told his mom he was a vampire," Isabelle said. They both jumped when Simon began screaming again, but this time about Rebecca, his sister. "What do I do?" Isabelle whispered, her dark eyes pleading.

"I don't know." Clary's voice was broken, like a thousand shards of glass had been shoved down her throat. Her heart was thumping wildly and her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm a monster," Simon whispered, and both girls noticed that he had stopped sobbing and was looking up at both of them, his entire body shaking and covered with sweat.

Clary leaned down and grabbed one of Simon's hands with both of her own. "No you're not, Simon. You are the kindest, quirkiest, best friend I've ever had. I love you so much."

"But I'm a monster. Or at least, I was. My mom. She looked scared. No, she looked _horrified_. In her eyes, I just... I wasn't her son anymore. I was this ugly, heartless beast, kinda like Darth Maul or something." Simon gave a half-hearted laugh.

"It's okay," Clary said soothingly. "It's not like that anymore."

"Do you remember what happened with Rebecca?" Isabelle asked. Simon shook his head. "Your mom kicked you out of the house. Rebecca came back to visit, and she knew that something was up. She walked into the house and everything was...different. You were afraid that she would have the same reaction as your mom did, so you ignored her. You ignored her for weeks. Then you finally talked to her, and she didn't mind. She still loved you. To Rebecca, you were still Simon. To all of us, you were still Simon. You were still the same awkward, slightly annoying, and unbelievably nerdy boy who I had so foolishly fallen-" Isabelle cut herself off. She looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. She still hadn't told Simon that she loved him. Clary knew that these recent events had probably set things back for Isabelle.

But Clary also knew that things hadn't been set back for Simon, even if he couldn't clearly remember everything about his past life. When Isabelle looked down, she missed the complete and utter look of love on Simon's face as he stared at her. Deciding the next few moments should be a conversation just between Simon and Isabelle, Clary stepped out of the kitchen in search for Jace, who had evidently wandered off when they made it back to the Institute, but not before she heard Simon whisper, "You are so perfect, Isabelle."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed! Sorry it's sort of been a while since I last updated, but I got a bit stuck on this chapter. Hopefully it turned out the way I wanted it to. I know a lot of this is fluff, but I promise I'm getting to the action! And, as always, reviews are extremely helpful when I get to writing the next chapter, so please give me your opinions/feedback. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning the Mortal Instruments series.**_

**Chapter Three**

Clary was still shaken from Simon's fit when she went into the elevator in search of Jace. She commanded herself to calm down. She knew how much it hurt Jace to see her like this, and she was trying really hard to be the brave Shadowhunter she was expected to be and keep herself together, at least for a few minutes. Clary was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Alec walking right in front of her until she almost ran into him.

"Sorry, Alec," Clary said.

"It's alright. He's in the music room if you were wondering," Alec said, heading back towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?"

"Magnus's," Alec said, with a huge grin on his face. Alec was more than relieved to finally have things sorted out with Magnus and everyone could tell. Alec had been so happy and cheerful lately that sometimes Clary didn't even recognize him as the moody and rude Shadowhunter she had first met.

"Have fun," Clary teased. The elevator doors shut before Alec could reply, but Clary was sure she would get a mouthful of sarcastic comments when he got back. She was understanding more and more why Alec and Jace got along so well.

Clary walked through the hallways, keeping her footsteps silent. When she finally reached the music room, a soft melody echoed around Clary. She peeked into the room to see Jace sitting at the piano with his eyes closed. His long fingers danced around the keys, creating the soft music that was surrounding the room. Jace looked so at peace, so at home, that she couldn't help but fall in love with him just a little bit more. She tried to be quiet as she tiptoed into the room and sat against a wall, watching Jace as he continued the song. Clary leaned her head back and closed her eyes, allowing herself to be caught up in the moment.

Clary wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep, but she suddenly realized the music had stopped. She snapped her eyes open, only to screech in fright when she saw a pair of golden eyes right in front of her face. "Jace, you jerk! I hate you!"

Jace immediately fell to the ground laughing. Clary squinted her eyes and huffed at him. She may have also accidentally stomped her foot out of frustration, which only made Jace laugh even harder.

"You are an absolute ass," Clary said.

"And you are adorable when you're mad," Jace replied, trying in vain to hide the grin that was tugging on the corners of his mouth.

"I'll have you know that I just watched my best friend relive one of the worst moments of his life, and so I came up here to be comforted by my _boyfriend_, but instead, I get treated like this." Clary waved her arms towards Jace. Suddenly, she felt very worn out. "Honestly," Clary sighed, and slid back down to the ground, curling her arms around her legs and hiding her head between her knees.

"Clary," Jace began, but Clary cut him off.

"Why didn't you stay with me? You knew why we were back at the Institute, so why did you leave as soon as we walked in?" Clary whispered.

"I thought you liked it best if I wasn't there. I thought, you know, that since it was something I didn't really understand, you wanted to keep things between you and Simon and Isabelle," Clary heard Jace say.

Clary lifted her head up. "Oh, Jace. You know I always want you with me."

Jace smiled down at her, the big smile that Clary was pretty sure only she got to see. "Really?" Jace asked, and his question sounded so childish that Clary had to keep herself from giggling.

"Of course. How many times do we have to go through this? I followed you to hell, Jace. Does that not prove anything?"

"Technically speaking, you followed Sebastian to hell. I just so happened to be tagging along. I suppose that was a lucky coincidence," Jace said, wiggling his eyebrows. "We did end up having a rather fun time there."

Clary shook her head and giggled. She felt a blush once again color her cheeks, and her eyes shifted back down to the ground.

"You're not going to say anything? You're not going to compliment me on how amazing I was, or suggest we head to your bedroom and rekindle the memories?"

"Jace, I'm about two seconds away from punching you in the face."

"I like it when you get feisty, Clary."

"Jace!"

"Okay, I really don't want to know what that conversation was about," called a familiar voice from the doorway, "but you guys are needed in the training room."

Clary turned to find Simon, looking in a much better mood then when she had found him earlier that evening, leaning against the door. "You doing alright?" she asked.

Simon nodded his head and gave her a small smile. "It took a phone call to my mom and a really long pep talk from Isabelle, but eventually the memory started to make sense. It's just weird. I feel like I'm living some sort of double life or something."

Clary smiled and gave him a hug, breathing in the familiar scent of him.

Jace inclined his head forward as if he were listening for something. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you say 'pep talk' or 'make-out session'?"

Simon immediately let go of Clary to glare at Jace. "And might I ask what you two were doing here? Alone?"

"Alright, guys. Knock it off," Clary said, but her bright red ears told everyone that she was more embarrassed than she was letting on.

Simon just rolled his eyes. "_Anyways_, Isabelle wants you guys to meet her in the training room. I guess she found something she wants to show you."

Clary and Jace exchanged a confused glance, but followed Simon. Jace looked slightly annoyed and Clary guessed it was because he was still upset that Mayrse and Robert had put Isabelle in charge while they went away to Idris. They were almost always gone nowadays, their marriage getting much worse. And Luke and Jocelyn were still on their honeymoon, so there had been little adult supervision for a while, but Isabelle, unfortunately, took her job very seriously. She made sure everyone was in their correct bedroom before she went to sleep and she loved to call everyone to the training room to have 'meetings' once in a while. Of course, if Isabelle was in charge, that meant that Simon was Second in Command, and that drove Jace up a wall. Jace never liked to be bossed around, and if Simon said one little suggestion as to what Jace should be doing, Jace would grit his teeth and try his hardest not to punch Simon. Clary found the whole thing very comical, and since Simon, because of all the training, was getting better and better at defending himself, he was beginning to get a little more cockier towards Jace.

"Well, Jace, when you're done huffing and puffing about your missed chance to take Clary to your bed, Isabelle's right in there." Simon pointed towards the training room.

"Thanks, Sherlock," Clary said. "And can we stop talking about this? I'm sure you and Isabelle have done worse things."

Simon blushed and Jace laughed loudly.

As soon as Clary walked in she saw Isabelle staring intently at a piece of paper with small fancy writing on it. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her expression was obviously one of distress.

Jace tensed beside Clary and reached for her hand. "Iz, what is it?"

Isabelle looked up and met Clary's eyes. "It's the Seelie Queen. She wants Clary."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Wow! So many new people followed this story, so thank you so so so much to everyone! And shoutout to Fourdivergenttributesoftime for reviewing! Sorry about the extremely long cliffhanger...you know how summer gets. How about a longer chapter to make up for it, yes?**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series.**_

**Chapter 4**

Alec was amazed that he still got nervous and jittery whenever he walked up the steps to Magnus's apartment. They had been dating for quite some time, and he expected all of those awkward and slightly annoying feelings to disappear after a while. But there he stood, his palms sweating, heart pounding, hands shaking as he reached into his pocket and grabbed the key to the apartment. Alec supposed it was the fact that he was a little bit new to the whole dating thing, and dating Magnus was not easy at all. Alec had never been in any serious relationships, or really any relationships, for that matter. He felt he was often winging the whole thing, but luckily Magnus was so experienced in this area that he was able to even out Alec's lack of experience.

It was fairly late in the evening, but Magnus was sitting on the couch watching yet another one of his reality TV shows with Chairman Meow when Alec walked in. Magnus's bright yellow eyes flicked over towards Alec, and he smiled. "Why, Alec, my dear, so nice of you to show," he said.

"Hey, Magnus," Alec mumbled. He walked over to the couch and sat down, so that Chairman Meow was sandwiched between the two of them.

"Just hold on one second. This episode of _America's Next Top Model_ is almost over, and then my attention will be completely dedicated to you. There's some food in the kitchen if you're hungry," Magnus said, and he turned to face the TV once again.

Alec couldn't help but chuckle. Magnus was so quirky, and Alec loved it. Of course, he could never say this out loud. He wasn't very good with words, or declarations of love. That was more Jace's strength. Alec had lost count of how many times he had said he loved Clary in the past week, let alone since they had returned to the Institute.

There was a bowl of spaghetti waiting for Alec in the kitchen, steaming hot with red sauce poured all over it and a fork stuck in the mess of noodles, as if Magnus had expected him to come home at the exact time he did. There were perks to dating a warlock who claims he knows everything. Alec took the bowl and sat at the counter, allowing himself to be caught up in his thoughts. Though Alec couldn't ever admit it to anyone, he had been thinking a lot about proposing to Magnus lately, which really scared him more than anything else. He knew it was extremely sudden and he didn't want to appear desperate or seem afraid of losing Magnus, but the truth was, he was afraid and a little bit desperate. Alec loved Magnus too much to let him go, and he knew that one day he would probably want to be married to Magnus, but he wasn't sure if either of them were actually ready. Alec was still reading the letters Magnus wrote about his past, so he probably should wait until he finished those, but he loved Magnus and wouldn't ever love anyone as much as he loved the glittery warlock.

Alec was so caught up in his thoughts that he never heard the phone ring, so when Magnus came bursting into the kitchen, Alec jumped.

"Sorry, Alexander, I didn't mean to scare you, but I just received a distress call from your sister. It appears we are needed, and she said, I quote, that 'no canoodling is allowed' or she will see to it that she will make our lives a living demon realm." Magnus grinned.

"Great," Alec groaned, and followed Magnus out of the apartment, nerves jumping at what he would hear from his sister.

**(Scene Change)**

_To my dear Shadowhunters of the New York Institute,_

_I want to personally send my congratulations on winning your war. It seems you were able to overcome Sebastian, something I believed was impossible. I allowed you time to bask in your short period of glory, but the time has come to tell you that you Shadowhunters have greatly underestimated the Fay, and to that we do not take lightly. You believe you have say over what we do, some sort of control over us, and I think we can both take a moment to laugh at your idiocy. You see, we have power the Shadowhunters will never be able to fathom, and it is dangerous to expect the Fay to listen to peoples below us. In exchange for your mistakes, I am willing to make a little deal. I ask that you give me Clarissa Morgenstern, and I will forget this entire situation. But, if she does not appear in my court by Tuesday of next week, then you can expect war._

_I pray you do not make the wrong decision._

_Signed,_

_The Seelie Queen_

When Isabelle finished reading the letter, Clary had to command herself to breathe. She should have expected something like this. Things had been way too peaceful, way too put together and calm. Clary could only see one clear answer, and that was to turn herself in by Tuesday and prevent another war. The Shadowhunter world was still recovering from Sebastian's attacks, and they were definitely not ready for a second war.

She heard both Jace and, surprisingly, Simon, mutter a string of profanities.

"So what do we do?" Isabelle asked, looking at everyone in the room. "Obviously, there's absolutely no way we are turning Clary in. We aren't idiots. The Angel knows what the Seelie Queen would do to her."

"But are we willing to allow another war?" Alec said, who had walked in, along with Magnus, just in time to hear Isabelle read the letter.

Jace's head snapped up and his eyes were filled with pure fury. Before anyone could say anything, he had Alec pushed against a wall and his face was inches from his. "Are you suggesting we actually turn Clary in?" he shouted. "You may be my parabatai, but if you ever say that again I will be sorely tempted to stab you with my knife, Alec. There is no way in hell that Clary is going to the Seelie Court. She stays with me." Jace repositioned himself so that he was standing in front of Clary. He seemed to be challenging everyone in the room, daring them to say something. Clary was afraid of this Jace, the Jace who would stop at nothing to protect the ones he loved. She couldn't help but remember what Alec had said to her when Jace was missing, that he would burn the whole world down just to find her. She looked around and saw that everyone else looked afraid too. They were usually never the object of Jace's fury, and no one knew what to do.

"You know I didn't mean it that way, Jace," Alec reasoned. "Clary's practically my sister. I would never suggest turning her in. I'm only saying we need to think this out before we make any final decisions. There will be a lot of consequences if the war breaks out."

Jace glared at Alec.

"Calm down," Clary whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. Everything's going to be fine."

Jace turned his head so that he was looking at her sideways. "You're staying next to me. You aren't going to leave me."

Clary felt like crying when she heard the brokenness in his voice. She wanted to curl up in his arms and promise him that she wasn't going anywhere. But she couldn't promise that. If she was the one who could stop an entire war from breaking out, than she would do whatever painful thing she had to to prevent it.

"Let's talk about this, before we start threatening to kill off our parabatai," Clary said.

That seemed to snap Jace out of his murderous mood, and he murmured an apology. He turned to wrap an arm around Clary's waist, and Clary leaned into Jace's shoulder.

"Thanks," Clary whispered in his ear, and she kissed his cheek.

"Alright, lovebirds, can we concentrate please?" Isabelle said. "I think first we should figure out why on earth the Seelie Queen would pick out Clary specifically. She always seemed much more interested in Jace."

"She's related to Sebastian?" Simon suggested.

"But Sebastian was just another pawn for the Seelie Queen. Why would she care so much about revenge? She hasn't before," Clary said.

"Do you think we underestimated her relationship with Sebastian?" Magnus, who had been quietly listening, said.

"You mean you think they were lovers?" Jace asked.

Simon nodded his head. "Well, I think Sebastian was just using her. If I'm remembering this right, Sebastian had some pretty creepy feelings for Clary. But I think the Seelie Queen felt some sort of love towards Sebastian, whether that be motherly or something else entirely. It would make sense as to why she's having such a strong reaction. And Clary's the one who killed him, so we can probably guess she's pretty pissed about that."

Everyone gaped at him.

"You remember that much?" Isabelle whispered.

"You know, for someone who lost their memory and who was normally an idiot anyway, that was pretty clever," Jace admitted. Though he was still tense beside Clary, he seemed to be in a bit more of a relaxed mood. Sometimes Jace tended to spring into a defense position before actually taking the time to figure things out.

Simon grinned. "Thanks."

Both Isabelle and Clary were smiling. The fact that he was able to remember things that happened so recently was a really good sign. Clary couldn't believe that Simon was still willing to hang around with them, even after he was remembering all he went through. However, she wasn't sure if he remembered that he had once been in love with her, and that she had rejected him for Jace, and that was the memory she was most nervous for him to remember. She wasn't so sure he would be as kind as he was the second time around. "Simon," she said, and she ran over to hug him. "I have something to ask you later, okay?"

Simon nodded.

"We still don't know what to do about Clary," Alec said. "Not," he said, glancing at Jace, "that we are giving her to the Seelie Queen."

"Maybe we could use her as bait?" Simon said. "Like, trick the Seelie Queen into meeting up with Clary and then we can do our really cool Shadowhunter thing and kick some faerie butt."

"And who suggested he become a Shadowhunter?" Jace said, and Clary elbowed him in the stomach. Jace looked down at Clary and smirked.

"Actually, I think Simon has a point," Isabelle said. "I mean, it worked with Sebastian."

"But the Seelie Queen is much smarter than Sebastian," Clary pointed out. "It's too simple. Do you think she'll see it coming?"

Alec frowned. "Maybe it will be such a simple thing that she won't ever realize what's happening. I'm pretty sure she'll be able to stop anything the Clave will decide to do, but if we keep it small and simple, well, that may just be our best chance."

Jace's grip on Clary suddenly tightened. "I'm not so sure we should do this. Like Clary said, the Seelie Queen is smart. She's also devious and untrustworthy, and we never know what she has up her sleeve. It might be too dangerous for Clary."

Clary was starting to get really frustrated with Jace. She was a Shadowhunter, wasn't she? She was better trained to handle this stuff. Had her defeat of Sebastian and Valentine not proven anything to him? "I can do this. I'm a Shadowhunter, Jace, just like you. If you had a chance to prevent another war, wouldn't you do the same?" she asked.

Jace's silence proved her correct.

"Not that I am not enjoying this very entertaining show, but I would much rather watch this on a full stomach," Magnus said. "Taki's, anyone?"

"You just had dinner, Magnus," Alec mumbled.

"Then we can call this a late night snack, Alexander. Anyone coming with, follow me." Magnus grabbed Alec's arm and dragged him out of the training room.

Everyone seemed to stare at each other and heave one collected sigh, before Jace shrugged his shoulders and, with everyone following suit, walked out the door to join Alec and Magnus.

**It was my first time writing Alec and Magnus, so did I do alright? How can I make the characters better?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Gosh, all these summer assignments for school are really stressing me out here. I feel like I'm not even on break from school. Grr. Anyways, thank you to Jling for the super sweet review! And, as always, thank you to all of my followers for reading my story. :) This chapter is just a bit of drabble to get the story along, but I'm hoping to update much more often and get this story rolling.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series.**_

**Chapter 5**

It was fairly dark when they walked outside, and Clary wished that there were stars to guide a path as they walked through the night. Jace had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, but whenever Clary looked up to see his face, she could tell his mind was completely somewhere else. She hoped he wouldn't suddenly divulge into his self-loathing as he sometimes did when he got angry or upset, but at the moment he seemed relaxed enough, although his stride was a bit quicker than usual, and his hold around her shoulders felt a little more like he was trying to hide or protect her in some way rather than as a romantic gesture. Magnus and Alec were farther ahead of them, Magnus telling Alec a story of how once, in his early years, a werewolf had refused to serve him at a bar simply because Magnus had rebuffed the werewolf's flirtatious attempts. Magnus was being very theatrical, waving his arms around and impersonating different voices in an attempt to bring the characters of his past to life, and Alec was obviously enjoying the show, laughing loud enough to alert all of New York where they were. Clary was really happy to see them getting along so well again, and she was even more happy to see how open they were being with each other. She was glad their relationship was a lot smoother, and she secretly hoped it would stay that way for while. She just couldn't imagine them dating anyone else. The same could be said for Simon and Isabelle, who were a little bit behind Jace and Clary. They were being much quieter than anyone else in the group, but Clary knew that their relationship was much more delicate than any other relationship known to man.

She was tired of waiting for Jace to say something, so she decided to say something that might bring him out of his reverie. "Something on your mind?"

Jace looked down at her and his facial expression clearly told her she had asked a stupid question, even though she had grown up being constantly told by teachers that there was no such thing as a stupid question. "Of course, Clary," he sighed, and in that moment he seemed so much older, more like the man who had had so many things happen in his life that at times it was almost unbearable. "You don't really think that you are going to 'bait' the Seelie Queen, do you?"

Clary could already feel the frustration rebuilding inside her. "I have to do it. You of all people should understand how I feel, why I want to do it. Besides, I don't hear you coming up with any better plans."

Jace shrugged, but the grin had returned and his eyes held a glint of mischief. "It's not that. I'm just worried you will even be able to pull it off. You're possibly the worst liar I've ever met," he teased.

"Am not," Clary said, although her voice had risen about two octaves higher when she said it, and she tried to cover her embarrassment by punching him lightly in the shoulder. "I think we can both agree that I did an amazing job tricking Sebastian."

"Ah, but that was once. And I think it was just pure luck. Sebastian was so drunk with power and glory that he wouldn't have been able to see through your little facade anyway."

"Everyone else believed me," Clary replied.

"They were too scared to look closely. I probably would have done a much better job," Jace said.

Clary laughed, which made Magnus and Alec snap their head backwards at them. "Do you want all the demons of New York to come track us down, Clary?" Magnus said.

Clary couldn't think of a good comeback, so she did the most childish thing that came to her head. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Alec chuckled and Magnus smirked, his yellow eyes glowing with amusement. "Glad you're in such high spirits," he commented.

Clary did wonder why she was in such a good mood, especially since just a couple minutes before she had wanted to curl up in a ball and scream. Her life, as well as the lives of all Shadowhunters, were once again being threatened, and here she was galloping through an alleyway laughing as loud as she possibly could. She sobered up a bit and moved closer to Jace, everyone's moods becoming more serious when they reached Taki's.

Alec got a table that was in a far corner, so that any eavesdropping Downworlders had a slightly less chance of being able to hear them. Luckily, it was pretty packed that night, the noise allowing the group a chance at some sort of privacy.

"Drinks?" Kaelie said, as way of greeting. Like every time Clary had ever been here, Kaelie was their waitress for the night, and Clary couldn't believe her luck. No matter how many times Jace had tried to convince her that whatever they had once had, something Clary didn't like to think about, Kaelie was still as insistent as ever. It wasn't like she was ever rude to Clary or made sarcastic comments or anything like that. She was just always there, a constant reminder of Jace's past, and that's what bugged Clary so much.

After they all ordered waters, Magnus cleared his throat. "Shall we continue with our earlier conversation?"

Everyone around the table nodded, the atmosphere around them growing sour and moody with the oncoming conversation.

"I'm willing to be the bait for the Seelie Queen," Clary said, "but do you think this whole thing is going to actually work? The only reason it worked on Sebastian was because no one knew about it. The only person I told was Jace, and he couldn't even look at Sebastian without giving it away. With everyone in on it, I'm not so sure we'll be that lucky."

Alec decided to speak up. "I think we can all agree that we might as well just try it. Something might go wrong, but there's a very slight chance since we have the advantage of five Shadowhunters and a warlock."

"It's the _Seelie Queen_," Isabelle interrupted. "She's capable of anything. Clary is easily my sister, and I sure as hell do not want to add another near-death experience to her list of 'Things I Do When I Hang Out with My Friends.'"

"Thank the Angel, someone finally says something reasonable," Jace muttered.

"But you're forgetting, she had feelings for Sebastian. I'm thinking that whatever she felt for him could be a flaw. Like a chink in her armor or something. I'm praying that she'll be so angry that she won't really be able to think straight and realize what's going on," Clary argued.

"It's possible," Jace allowed, but the reluctance in his voice proved he was still against the whole plan.

Clary clasped her hands together. "So it's settled. We'll figure out the exact details of the plan later, but for right now I just want to enjoy the rest of my night."

Suddenly Isabelle's mouth curved into a wicked grin, and Clary knew she was going to eat her words. "Pandemonium, anyone?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Sorry this is taking so long, but there was so much that I wanted to cram into this chapter, so I had to plan it out a little bit. Thanks to Doclover for the kind review and especially to Jessica for the wonderful suggestion! I absolutely loved your idea and I hope I give it justice! There are slight lemons in this chapter, but nothing too intense. :)**

**One more thing - I was reading some fanfiction the other day and I thought it was really cool how these people were giving song suggestions to go with their chapter. I'm not sure if I'll do this everytime, and the song won't necessarily be related to my chapter, but more to the TMI series in general. So yeah, if you like my suggestions, then please let me know! If you don't like this idea, then I'll stop. But as for now, this chapter's song is "Lessons in Love" by Neon Trees. This song reminded me of Jace and Clary (Jace's POV), which I thought was very fitting because this chapter is VERY Jace and Clary. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series.**_

**Chapter 6**

This had been one of the longest nights of Clary's life. First she had found out that she was yet again the #1 Wanted by some evil mastermind, then they had trudged all the way to Taki's only to stress out about the fact that Clary was wanted by this evil mastermind, and now, because of Isabelle, Clary was stuck once again in Izzy's extremely messy room, a fluffy white bath robe wrapped around her body, while Isabelle rummaged through her closet trying to figure out how to make Clary look good for a night out at Pandemonium.

Clary wasn't sure if she should feel excited or annoyed. There was a small part of her that would rather just stay at the Institute and curl up in her bed and forget that this whole thing had ever happened for a while, but there was also a part of her that really wanted to go to Pandemonium. She knew there were going to be demons there, and Clary wanted to prove to Jace that she was strong enough of a Shadowhunter to play bait. The only problem would be trying to convince everyone to let her.

Isabelle's voice broke through her thoughts. "Would you stop huffing and puffing about this? I know Pandemonium isn't your favorite place, but suck it up. We're going to have a fun night, so get rid of your sour mood or I'm telling Jace he needs to stay here to watch over the Institute in case the Seelie Queen sends us something else."

Clary narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired girl. "You wouldn't."

A smirk very much like Jace's appeared on Isabelle's lips, and a forebidding look darkened her eyes. "Try me," she said.

"Sometimes I really don't like you, Isabelle Lightwood," Clary groaned, and slumped onto Isabelle's unmade bed.

"And sometimes I can hardly believe that we're friends," Isabelle teased. "But, when you walk out of here and Jace's jaw drops to the floor, you'll be loving me."

Clary bit her lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh. "Hey, um, Iz?"

Isabelle, sensing the serious note to Clary's voice, turned around and crossed her arms. "Yeah?"

"Do you think that maybe this time I could play bait?"

"I don't see why not. I should probably stay close to Simon anyways, since this is his first time going to Pandemonium since he lost his memory, and it might be a bit overwhelming." Isabelle took a deep breath, then turned back to her closet and finally pulled out a handful of dark green fabric and some high-heeled booties. "But you know, playing bait calls for some _very_ revealing clothing." Her red lips spread into a wicked grin. "You up for it?"

She had no choice. Clary knew that if she wanted to prove something to Jace, she was going to have to suck it up. She was going to have to be sexy. She shuddered at the thought, but gulped down her fear and stared Isabelle straight in the eyes. "I think I'm game," Clary said, and attempted to recreate the smirk that Isabelle and Jace had so flawlessly perfected.

Isabelle threw her head back and laughed. "Well then, let's get started."

An hour and a half later, Clary couldn't have felt more foolish. She was wearing a dark green dress that was extremely tight and just barely covered her butt. She had to admit it was one of Izzy's more concealing club dresses, save for the triangle cut-out in the middle of her chest that showed more cleavage than she was comfortable with. She wore black fishnet tights that contrasted well with her creamy skin and made her legs look longer, and very black, very tall high-heeled booties concealed her feet. Isabelle, instead of attempting to tame her wild hair like she usually did, had insisted that this time she was going to keep the wild look. There was a sparkly headband in Clary's hair that made the front of her hair appear smoother, while the rest of her hair poofed out in a red curly mess. It wasn't necessarily a mess, though. Isabelle had told her that the wildness of her hair only made her sex appeal increase, which made Clary blush profoundly and want to hide her face immediately. Black eyeliner hugged Clary's eyelids, streaking out to create the "cat-eye" look. Clary was surprised to find how bright her green eyes appeared. Isabelle had once again gone with a dark wine shade on Clary's lips, and when Clary finally turned to look at the final product in the mirror, she barely even recognized herself. She definitely looked sexy, but Clary wasn't sure if she could _act_ sexy. She felt like a little girl playing dress-up, especially when she turned to see Isabelle in a dark red silk dress that hit her legs mid-thigh and did nothing but make her absolutely gorgeous. Clary sighed. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this whole bait thing after all.

Isabelle heard Clary sigh and immediately knew what she was thinking. "Clary, snap out of it. You are mouth-watering, and I think Jace is going to have a hard time keeping you to himself tonight." She winked. "This is your first time playing bait, and I want to give you some advice: be confident. No one is going to believe you're hot unless you walk into the place and leave broken hearts in your wake. Lift your head up," Isabelle said, brining Clary's chin up. "And put your shoulders back. Now look in that mirror. You're beautiful, Clary."

Clary could feel tears coming to her eyes, and she stood up to hug her friend. "Isabelle, how was I ever lucky enough to get a friend like you?"

"Told you you'd love me by the end of this," Isabelle said, and hugged Clary back. "Now come on, we've got some demons to kill and some boys to impress." Once Isabelle was pleased with all the finishing touches, they walked out of the room to go meet the boys outside of the elevator.

Clary remembered what Isabelle had told her, and before she walked out to meet Jace, she made sure to keep her head up. She followed Izzy and strut out to the elevator, where she saw no one but Jace, with his golden eyes shamelessly raking up and down her body hungrily. His lips parted in ill-disguised surprise as she walked closer to him, making sure her expression oozed seduction. She could hear Alec, Simon, Isabelle, and Magnus laughing at Jace's reaction, and that only egged her on. As soon as she was close enough, she lifted her head so she could reach his ear. "I'm going to play bait tonight, okay?" she whispered.

Jace's eyes narrowed and his mouth opened to protest, but she leaned in closer before he could speak. "Please?" she said, and nipped at his earlobe, earning a shutter from Jace. She pressed her chest against his arm, and he closed his eyes before nodding. She stepped back. "How was that, Isabelle?"

Isabelle was holding her sides because she had been laughing so hard. "Pure gold."

Simon was grinning at Clary, and Alec mumbled something like "Poor Jace."

"I will say, Clarissa, my dear, you look very..._grown up,_" Magnus said, his eyes sparking with humor. The sides of his mouth twitched with the smile he was attempting to hide. "If I didn't have Alec, I would be very tempted to-"

"Finish that sentence, Magnus, and Chairman Meow will never step foot in your apartment again," Alec growled.

Magnus wrapped his arm around his boyfriend. "You're adorable when you're jealous," he said, kissing the top of Alec's head.

"Not that I want to break up this little lovefest, but we should go," Isabelle said. "The demons aren't going to kill themselves."

They all crammed into the elevator and called a taxi, where Isabelle then convinced everyone that taking one taxi would be easiest. So now, Clary sat on Jace's lap, sitting next to a very pleased Simon, who had Isabelle sitting on his lap, and very aware of how little material covered her skin. Jace's arms were currently wrapped around her waist, and once in a while he would tickle her sides, causing her to yelp and everyone else to shoot annoyed looks at him. The ride seemed particularly long, and Clary would be lying if she didn't admit she wasn't a little bit thankful to be off of Jace's lap. She had been a couple seconds away from kissing him right there in front of everybody, and she figured she needed to get a grip if she was supposed to seduce a demon tonight.

"Names?" the bouncer demanded as they walked closer to the entrance.

All Isabelle had to do was wink and they were inside the club faster than Clary had time to blink. She was immediately blinded by the flashing of many colored lights, and her ears were filled with hypnotic music. Girls and boys alike were dressed in eccentric clothing, sweat beading their necks as they danced. The group first gathered at the bar, where they all began scouting for demons.

"You can't be so obvious, Clary," Isabelle murmured, causing Clary to frown in response. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was pretty nervous. She was worried she might screw it up, especially if she knew Jace was watching her.

Isabelle leaned into Clary, pretending to hug her while whispering, "Found one. Over there, on the edge of the dance floor." Clary followed the movement of Isabelle's eyes, finding a very attractive teenager with dark brown hair and mysterious green eyes. He was tall and a little lanky, but in a way that made him more endearing. Before Clary had time to fully size him up, his glamour fell away. His hands turned into twisted claws, and his eyes were replaced by nothing but empty black holes. His skin was dark red and rotting in some places, and his mouth was nothing but razor sharp yellowed teeth. Clary felt like throwing up. She had definitely seen worse, but the thought of having to practically kiss the demon was nauseating.

Clary realized everyone was watching her, waiting for her to do something. She nodded her head once and took a deep breath, before putting on a seductive smile and walking straight towards the demon.

Jace gripped the side of the table he was standing next to as soon as he saw Clary take a breath and walking towards the demon. He couldn't help the rush of jealousy and possesiveness that he felt as soon as she approached the disgusting creature. This took him by surprise. Jace Lightwood does not get jealous. And Clary wasn't an object, anyways. He didn't own her. Besides, it was her job to play bait. The Angel knows how many times he's done, and sometimes not even towards demons. The thought made Jace grimace. He wanted so badly to take back all those heated nights with total strangers. He noticed Clary's slight flinch everytime that topic was accidentally brought up into conversation, and it was like a seraph blade through the stomach. How could he have been so stupid, so careless?

"You alright, Jace?" Alec asked, nudging his _parabatai_.

Jace nodded his head and relaxed a little as Alec gave him a reassuring smile.

"She'll be fine. She's an amazing Shadowhunter. I say give it a couple more months and she'll have you beat," Alec teased.

"Please. Not even Clary could reach my level of amazingness," Jace said, turning his attention back to Clary on the dance floor.

Alec chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Clary had definitely gotten the demon's attention. She was dancing slightly in front of it, using extremely seductive moves that even Jace hadn't seen before. Her eyes were lazily flicking up and down his body, but Jace knew her well enough to see the disgust in her slightly down-turned lips. When the demon walked closer to Clary, he saw her stiffen up a bit, before closing the space between them. She turned so her back was against the demons chest, and the demon's hand immediately went to her waist. Jace watched as she grimaced a bit before continuing to dance, and he soon noticed that Clary's green eyes were blazing right into his. He sat down on a stool and leaned forward slightly, beckoning her to continue. He felt his signature smirk reach his lips as he watched Clary seductively dance with the demon, her hips swaying in a way that made Jace want to push her into the nearest closet and have his way with her. Sighing, he shook his head to clear his thoughts, but Clary was no help. She opened her mouth and licked her lips, grinning when she saw Jace's eyes widen.

She took her hand and slowly rubbed it down her body, her cheeks heating as she watched Jace's gaze follow her hand hungrily, his mouth hanging open. She smirked and turned back around to face the demon, commanding herself to hold her lunch as she got a whiff of his rotting breath. She could feel Jace staring at her backside, so she shook it a little, wishing more than anything that she was dancing with Jace. Suddenly, she felt the demon's clawed hands creep down to grab her butt, and she heard a clatter of breaking glass by the bar. Knowing full well who had caused the little scene, and not wanting the demon to notice the group of Shadowhunters, she grabbed its deformed head and kissed it. Clary couldn't believe she had done that, nevermind doing it without throwing up. She faintly heard wood snapping, and Alec telling Jace to calm down. Annoyance filled Clary's stomach when she realized that Jace could ruin their whole plan, and she prayed that the demon wasn't noticing anything. In hopes she could speed things up and just get this whole thing over with, she shot the demon a wicked grin when the broke apart. "I think it's a little too crowded in here." She ran her hand down his shirt before asking, "Want to go someplace a little more _private_?"

The demon grinned, revealing more of its sharp teeth. "I know just the place," it growled, in a voice that was the equivalent to nails scraping a chalkboard. It grabbed her hand and led her towards the same storage closet she had discovered Jace, Isabelle, and Alec a few years ago. The irony. Before she had time to make sure she had her weapons ready, the demon leaned in and said, "Stupid Shadowhunter." It shoved her into the closet and slammed the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: You guys are all absolutely amazing! Thank you so so so much to ThePerksOfBeingInAFandom, lemonofweirdness, Doclover, and all guests who reviewed! You are so encouraging, and all your reviews brighten my day. Also, I need some help/suggestions. I'm writing a Sizzy scene in the near future, but I don't know what I want them to do or where I want them to be! Please leave suggestions as to what you would like for a Sizzy scene! Oh, and the song recommendation this time is "How to Be a Heartbreaker" by Marina and the Diamonds, which is pretty much Isabelle's theme song. So yeah, now onto the story! (More lemons, so be warned)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series.**_

**Chapter 7**

Jace was beginning to get really annoyed with the bar tender, who had been staring daggers at him since he had accidentally broken the glass he hadn't even realized he was holding, and then proceeded to crack a piece of the table he was standing next to. It's not like he had intended to do it. Clary dancing like that had really gotten him all bothered, but seeing the demon grab _his_ Clary like that had brought out the possesiveness once again. Jace never thought he would ever be jealous of a demon, but there he was, being laughed at by his very own siblings, wishing he could be the one grabbing her waist and running his fingers through her hair.

He tried to calm himself down by looking away from the demon and Clary and waching the rest of the crowd. Young, foolish mundanes flung their hips back and forth to the music, and more than half of them were already drunk. His eyes caught many pretty girls who were unashamedly staring at him, their eyelashes batting in a pathetic attempt to get his attention. Once upon a time, he would have walked over there. Now, the only thought that crossed his mind was how none of them had bright red hair, or emerald green eyes, or freckles dotting her cheeks, or blushed profusely if he so much as smirked at them. Sighing as he realized that he just couldn't get his mind clear of Clary, even for a moment, he turned back to look at the place where Clary had been dancing. His heart practically dropped to the floor when he realized she wasn't there anymore. He noticed that both Isabelle and Simon had tensed next to him, Isabelle's finger's itching towards her bracelet. Alec and Magnus, on the other hand, were nowhere to be found, but all Jace could comprehend was that he couldn't see Clary. "Isabelle?" Jace said, his eyes scouting the dance floor.

He heard Isabelle gasp. "The storage closet. I think it knows," she said, already pushing her way through the crowd to get there.

Jace, however, being the fastest out of the two, was able to get to the closet much quicker. Praying to Raziel that Clary wasn't already hurt, he quietly opened the door and walked in, seraph blade in hand.

"Pretty little thing," he heard the demon hiss. "It's such a shame I have to kill you."

"I would say the same thing about you, but you're far from what I call pretty," retorted Clary. Jace breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Clary's voice, and he couldn't help the surge of pride that rushed through him when he heard the sarcastic tone she used with the demon. He was rubbing off on her.

The demon hissed again. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you to hold your tongue, Shadowhunter?"

The demon lunged towards Clary, but she easily stepped out of its way. Grabbing the small blade she had hidden in the thigh sheath under her dress, she ran towards the demon. The knife sliced its arm, but the demon was also quick, and moved away before it could be stabbed, it's claws inches away from raking across her leg. Clary, however, jumped over the demon and landed on its other side, catching it by surprise. Taking out her stele, she drew a rune that was unfamiliar to Jace. The demon's talons reached out to slash Clary's face, but before it could touch her, the demon's entire body went still. Clary's body visibly relaxed, and she walked forward so that she was face to face with the demon.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you not to mess with a Shadowhunter?" she said, and then she took her blade and drove it through the demon's chest. The demon turned into nothing, and Clary felt a huge smile form on her face. She was breathing heavily and she could feel her ankles aching from the jump, but her whole being was swelling with pride.

That very pride diminished a little when she jumped because she heard someone clapping behind her. She turned quickly, her blade already pointed in the direction of the noise.

"Woah, woah, sweetheart," she heard the sarcastically familiar voice say. "let's not get started with the fighting. I think we both know who would win."

Clary smiled again and lowerd her arm. "Were you watching me?"

Jace stepped closer to Clary. "What else would I possibly do with my time?" he replied, causing Clary to laugh.

She heard Isabelle laugh as well. "Guess you didn't need any of our help. I'll just leave you two lovebirds to it." The click of her heels faded away, and Clary turned back towards Jace.

"I think that came out creepier than you meant it to."

She felt Jace's arm snake around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "You know you're happy I was watching. You're good. Of course, you did have the best teacher in the Shadowhunter world," he smirked, before leaning in closer to her. "But I'm glad I saw you fight. I can't deny that you are incredibly sexy when you do."

Clary shivered and she tilted her head up so that she was centimeters away from his lips. "Pervert. You've seen me fight plenty of times. You're just turned on because I also happen to be wearing a very short dress and very high heels, which, I might add, is even more kinky when I'm jumping around."

Jace grinned wickedly in response, lust plain on his face.

Clary reached her hand up and wrapped her fingers in his curls. "You broke glass. Why?"

His hold on Clary tightened, and his eyes darkened. Jace brought his lips to hers forcefully, in a way that was obviously meant to remind Clary that she was his. His hands were gripping her hips, but Clary managed to pull away a bit.

"You were _jealous_?" said Clary, disbelievingly.

"Honestly, Clary, do you have an inkling of an idea what you do to me? When that bastard acted like he could do whatever he wanted to do with you," Jace growled, but was cut off by Clary's giggle._  
_

"It was a demon, Jace. That's exactly what I wanted to happen."

"_I _didn't want it to happen," he replied. "You're mine, Clary." When he leaned in to kiss her again, Clary pulled out of his grasp, a devious grin on her face. "What are you doing?"

"It's kind of fun, you know, seeing your reaction. I know it's bitchy of me, but I kind of like this side of you," Clary said. She trailed her fingertips down his chest, and she watched as his golden eyes dilated. "So I'm going to draw it out as long as possible." She winked, and then she walked right out of the closet, leaving Jace slightly stunned behind her.

Clary spotted Izzy immediately, talking animatedly with Simon by the bar. She was smiling widely and her eyes were adoring as she listened to Simon tell one of his childhood stories, but Clary did catch Isabelle's eyes flicking to the mob of dancing mundanes a few times. Though she hated to break the couple apart, she knew Isabelle well enough to know that she was aching to get on the dance floor with Simon, and Simon had never been one to actually ask a girl to dance.

"Hey, Isabelle, Simon," Clary said when she approached them.

"Clary," Isabelle squealed, hopping off the bar stool to hug her. Simon was right behind her, also reaching over to hug Clary. "I am so proud of you."

Clary blushed slightly at the praise, offering both Isabelle and Simon a warm smile.

"Where's Jace?" Simon said.

"Oh, he'll be along," Clary said, then stood on her tiptoes to whisper into Isabelle's ear. "I need your help with something." She flicked her eyes pointedly at Jace, who had just walked out of the storage closet and was not-too-discretely staring at Clary. "Dance floor?"

Isabelle grinned and her hand wrapped around Simon's wrist. "Want to dance, Simon?"

Simon's eyes popped out of his head, but he nodded slowly and followed Isabelle and Clary to the floor. Isabelle immediately started throwing out her sexiest moves as Simon ogled at her. Clary followed suit, and soon everyone around them had stopped dancing to stare at the two beautiful and mysterious girls. Though they weren't dancing together, they had a way of feeding off of each other so that their moves complimented one another.

Clary lifted her eyes to find Jace once again staring at her, a lazy grin plastered on his face as he watched her long legs move around. Clary silently thanked the Angel for all the good training had done her, happy that for once she wasn't finding herself tripping over her feet when Jace obviously checked her out.

Someone that had been watching Isabelle and Clary dance whistled, causing Jace's head to snap up and meet Clary's eyes. Her smile belonged to that of Lucifer, and one finger stretched out to beckon him towards her. He willingly obliged, trying with all his might to not run towards her. When he reached her, his hands found her hips and pulled them roughly against his, and then they were finally dancing together. Clary was running her fingers up and down his shirt, while Jace kept his hands on her hips. Suddenly, he twirled her so that her back was against his chest, and Clary gasped when she felt his mouth on her neck. His hands were drawing circles on her stomach. She rocked her hips into his and she heard his small growl, the kisses he left on her neck more feverish than the last. Somewhere, Isabelle was backing Simon into a dark corner, their lips locked, and Alec and Magnus had already gotten a cab to Magnus's apartment, but at the moment Clary didn't care. Jace's hands were suddenly on her thighs, and Clary had to remember how to breathe. She wrapped her hand around his head and pulled his hair, causing Jace to moan and dig his fingers into her legs. She turned back around as fast as she could and brought her lips to her own, catching his mouth in a desperate kiss. Clary didn't even notice Jace had been moving them until she felt her back hit a wall. His fingers were suddenly fiddling with the bottom of her dress, making it all too clear what he wanted.

"Jace, " Clary gasped. She brought her hands to his chest and pushed, silently telling him she needed to talk.

"Clary," he said shakily, his forehead touching hers.

"I, um," Clary said and trailed off, shyness getting the best of her.

"What is it, Clary?"

"I just..." Clary closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his face when she said it. "Can we do it in a bed this time?"

There was complete silence, and Clary's heart pounded loudly, afraid to see Jace's reaction. Would he reject her? Was he too taken aback by her boldness?

She felt a hand cup her face lightly, and she opened her eyes to meet Jace's liquid golden stare. "Thought you'd never ask," he said cockily, and they were out of Pandemonium faster than a demon in daylight.

Once they were in a cab, Clary felt the nerves begin to consume her. She began babbling to fill the awkward silence and to break the sexual tension she felt in the car, though she wanted nothing more to run her tongue across his lip. "Should we have told Isabelle and Simon that we left?" Clary asked.

"What would we have said? 'Hey, we're leaving to go have some fun in my bedroom, so don't come back home right away?'" Jace joked.

Clary groaned and slumped into the seat. "You're killing the mood here, Jace."

His mouth was suddenly hot in her ear as he said, "Good thing the Institute's right there, then." As soon as she got out of the cab, Jace's mouth was on hers, his hands everywhere all at once. She felt him pick her up and practically run through the Institute, and she kept kissing him when he slammed the door of his bedroom and laid her onto his bed. He unzipped her shoes and threw them to the floor, crawling on top of her before she even heard the dull thud of the shoes on the wood. Their kisses were desperate and passionate, and Clary knew there was no way she could stop any of this now. She was extremely nervous, even more so than their first time. Doing it in his room, it just felt so much more..._intimate. _

Jace had taken to whispering her name in between kisses, making Clary's desire in the pit of her stomach to only grow more unbearable. Her fingers found the buttons on his shirt, and she was practically ripping them off. Jace's fingers were once again playing with the edge of her dress, which had ridden up to the tops of her thighs. When she felt his calloused hand brush across her leg, her entire body froze.

Jace noticed. "Clary? God, Clary, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" He broke off, already beginning to untangle himself from her.

"What are you doing?" she said, wrapping her legs around him tighter.

"Am I pushing you into something you don't want to do? That you never wanted to do? I'm trying, Clary. By the Angel, I'm trying so hard. I want to be good enough for you. I want to take you out on the perfect date. I want to kiss you every single minute of every single day. I want to wake up to your bright eyes every morning. But did I mess that up a long time ago, wen I brought a drunken girl to my bed? I keep replaying that night in the cave, and I can't help but wonder if it was right. I mean, a demon realm? Who would have thought?"

He paused to laugh a little before continuing. "You make me nervous, Clary. And I hate it. I've always been so sure of myself, of what I'm doing and going to do. But when it comes to you, I have no idea what the hell I'm getting myself into. I feel like I'm going to mess it up so easily, one false move and everything is over."

"Would you get over yourself?" Clary interrupted, shaking her head. "I love you, Jace Herondale. And trust me, you aren't the only one who's afraid of messing up this relationship. You have so much experience when it comes to things like this," she waved her hand in between them, "and I only have that one time. I'm sure you've been with women who are much better at it than I am, and I'm scared, Jace. You're handsome and an amazing Shadowhunter, and I'm just Clary. An artist from New York who can't walk in heels and would much rather stay at home watching old superhero movies than go out to a club."

"And that's exactly why I love you, Clary," Jace whispered, cupping his hand under her chin, "because you're an artist. Because you _learned_ how to walk in heels even when it's not something you like. Because you would rather stay at home, but instead you suck it up and go out with us anyways. Because you _love_, Clary. You love effortlessly and you love greatly, and there isn't a day that goes by when I wish that I could love like you. I've watched you with Simon, how you hold his hand while he tries to come to terms with his memories. How you put on your bravest face possible and comfort him, only to break down later when no one is there to see you. You're amazing Clary, and I can't tell you how thankful I am to be loved by you."

Clary was sort of crying by then, and she was trying her best to hide it from Jace. "One of these days, Jace, I'm going to say something so romantic that it will blow everything that you've ever said to me out of the water."

He laughed and Clary leaned into him to pick up where they had left off, and when she finally took off her dress, she never felt more lovely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: AGH you guys I am so so so so so sorry! So much has been happening in my life that I've had no time to actually sit down and continue with this fanfic! Hopefully the school year will begin to wind down and I can get back to writing more often. A huge huge HUGE shoutout and thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, and urged me to continue updating. You all have such kind and encouraging words, and I can't tell you how much reading your reviews makes my day. :) And now, finally, onto Chapter 8!****  
**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments series. **_

**Chapter 8**

Clary would not have opened her eyes if it weren't for the very persistent sun shining through the white curtains. Usually Clary was an okay morning person, but on this particular morning, she was exhausted. Cracking her eyes open a bit, she raised her arms and stretched, only to yelp in fright when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She turned her head to see Jace sleepily grinning at her, and memories of the night before rushed through Clary's head so fast she was surprised she didn't get dizzy.

"Morning," Jace murmured, causing Clary to smile.

"Good morning."

Jace smirked, reaching his hand to push a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "So." he started, "last night."

Clary felt embarrassment flood through her every bone as she remembered how bold she had been, how she had practically thrown herself at Jace the night before. She had to admit though, everything had been so amazing. It made her feel as if she couldn't ever love anyone as much as she loved Jace, and Clary had to admit she liked the feeling. She felt giddy and young and completely in love, and she didn't want to have it any other way. "I love you so much, Jace Herondale." Clary pulled him in for a kiss, but unlike last night's passionate and fiery ones, this kiss was simple and sweet.

They broke apart and Jace chuckled. "Tell me how you really feel," he joked, and wrapped his arms tighter around her. "I love you, too. And I have to admit, I really like waking up to you..." He brushed his finger tips down her side, sending a shiver racing up and down her spine. "Like this."

Jace's breath washed over Clary's face, and just as he was pulling her in for a second kiss, loud banging interrupted the morning's silence.

"Don't think I don't know what you two were doing last night, and what you are possibly doing right now," Isabelle shouted, "but you two rabbits need to rise and shine."

Jace groaned and fell back into his bed, while Clary, once again blushing furiously, scrambled around his room in hopes of finding some sort of clothing. "Go away, Isabelle. We were having such a nice morning until you started talking."

"Oh, I'm sure you were. Now get your lazy butts out here before I come barging in there myself," Isabelle yelled.

With this, Clary burst out of the door, appearing as if she had just run a marathon. "God, Izzy. You need a life."

Isabelle only grinned wickedly at Clary and wiggled her fingers. She tossed her long black hair over her shoulder as a signal for Clary to follow. She strutted all the way down to kitchen, where everyone else appeared to be having quiet conversations with each other. They looked like they had been awake for hours. When they entered, all heads turned towards Clary. Magnus had a small smirk on his face, as if he knew exactly why Clary and Jace were waking up so late. Both Alec and Simon looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Um...morning, guys," Clary said in a feeble attempt to break the silence that lay thick in the air. She refused to meet anyone's eyes for fear of dying of embarrassment. Was everything the whole thing that obvious?

"It's deathly quiet in here," a voice said, and Clary whipped around to see Jace standing behind her, his hair still a mess and a huge grin plastered on his face. He pulled Clary closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

Even though it was the simplest and smallest of actions, Simon looked ghostly pale, Alec started choking on the coffee he was drinking, and Magnus was trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

"God, you people are sickening. Morning after's always the worst to watch, isn't it?" Isabelle said to no one in particular. Jace only chuckled, while Clary tried her best to become invisible in Jace's arms. If this is how it was going to be from now on, she was going to move far far away. Hawaii or Paris, at least somewhere nice where she could relax and not be teased by the four obnoxious people standing in front of her. How did they even know? Why were they acting like they had witnessed what transpired between her and Jace last night? Sure, they left the club early, but everyone was too preoccupied to notice how heated things were getting. And Clary had slept in Jace's rooms plenty of times. So why was it so painstakingly obvious to them? Unless...

"You know, you two should really learn how to be a little more quieter. I was up most of the night because of you." Magnus looked like he was about to burst from holding in his laughter. Clary wanted to smack the glittery eyeliner right off his face.

And Jace was absolutely no help. If anything, he was almost egging them on with all his soft chuckles and grins and constant kisses. Her eyes met Simon's and she silently begged him to help her out. "Simon?"

"Sorry, Clary...it's just...it was kinda bad..."

"Oh, by the Angel, no. No no no no no," Clary muttered, burying her face into Jace's chest and wishing nothing more than to curl up under her bed and never speak to anyone ever again. "This cannot be happening."

Before she knew it, everyone was laughing. At her. This was one of the worst days of Clary's life, and it was barely even 10:30. She looked up to find Jace's eyes filling with tears from laughing so hard. She had a sudden urge to murder everyone in the room. And if Jace was going to laugh at her, then Clary was certainly going to make sure he got the worst end of the stick. Narrowing her eyes, she gave Isabelle, Alec, Simon, and Magnus a death glare, and that shut them up almost immediately. She turned to Jace and smiled almost too sweetly.

"Jace," she said, leaning closer to his mouth. "If it's going to be this embarrassing for me every time, I'm thinking that maybe we shouldn't have sex anymore." She broke out of his embrace and walked out of the kitchen to go hide in her bedroom, but she couldn't help the spark of smugness that formed in the pit of her stomach when she heard both Magnus and Simon laughing their guts out, and Jace muttering a few choice words before the kitchen door swung shut behind her.

**So this was a more short and playful chapter, but I have some very juicy things in store for you ;) And I promise, it will not take a month to update like it did last time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I honestly can't believe how fast this story is growing! I love you all so so much. I couldn't ask for better readers. A giant thank you to Doclover, ChapChupChoo, Butterfly, Lacie-Abyss, and all the guests for the reviews, and another thank you to everyone who followed/favorited! **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning The Mortal Instruments Series.**_

The funny thing about time is that when you want it to be behaved and slow, it rushes as fast as it can. And before Clary knew it, she was staring one of the biggest decisions of her life in the face. After all the things she had gotten into since she had discovered she was a Shadowhunter, Clary would've thought that by now she could handle pretty much anything. But as she sat on her messy bed trying her best to forget about where they were headed in just a few short hours, she realized that no matter how much she trained or studied, she would never be able to walk into a dangerous situation with ease. She would never be like Isabelle, who strutted down dark alleys in her seven inch boots and her badass attitude, or Jace, who treated every demon like it was nothing but a child's toy. She would always find herself caught up in a minor panic attack, even if she oozed confidence on the outside.

As of right now, Jace and Alec were on patrol, looking out for any signs that the Seelie Queen would go back on her word and grab Clary before any of them had a chance to fight. Isabelle was in the training room with Simon, preparing him for the possibility of a fight. However, they didn't know that Clary had had a lot of time to think about what they were getting themselves into. They didn't know that Clary had already made up her mind that she was going to let the Seelie Queen take her without trying to fight. She wasn't going to risk everyone's lives again, especially if she had the ability to prevent it.

Clary was already dressed in her Shadowhunter gear when Isabelle and Simon opened her door.

"You ready, Clary?" Simon asked. Clary was surprised to see him also dressed in Shadowhunter gear. Even though they were both technically still in training, the Clave had decided to let them fight as if they were already Shadowhunters, considering they had done enough fighting already, but they warned Simon to be extra careful, since he was still considered a mundane. His test was coming up in a few weeks, and Clary's heart throbbed at the thought of not being there to watch him Ascend.

"As I'll ever be." She flashed a half-hearted grin at Simon and Izzy, and followed them out of her room and to the elevator, where Jace, Alec, and Magnus were already waiting. Alec and Magnus were holding hands and whispering sweet-nothings into each other's ears, but Jace looked grim. He didn't even attempt to smile when he saw Clary. She wondered if he knew what her plan was, but she shook the thought off as quickly as possible.

"Who's ready to kick some faerie ass?" Simon said, in an attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere. He tried to grab his stele from his belt and twirl it around, but it easily slipped through his fingers and clattered to the floor. His "bad boy" attempt had everyone cracking up in seconds, and for a moment it felt like the only thing they were doing was going to grab some food like any Tuesday night. Clary didn't know why everything felt so ominous all the sudden. She had dealt with both Valentine and Sebastian, two of the most sadistic creatures on the planet. But she also knew that they were not like the Seelie Queen. It had been a long time since she had personally threatened the Shadowhunter world, and Clary was not looking forward to the things she had in store. She had a sickening feeling deep in her gut that this time they wouldn't be able to outwit her.

They silently prowled through the night. No one talked. Instead, they anxiously held each other's hands, eyes wide and on the lookout for any traps set up by the Queen. Sooner than Clary would have liked, they were standing by the lake, the very lake that held so many terrible memories that she had to try her hardest to suppress and involuntary shutter. Jace squeezed her hand in reassurance, but for the first time, it was not comforting.

"Relax," Jace murmered in her ear. "We've got this under control."

Her green eyes whipped up to meet his, and the only thing she saw in his golden orbs was pure confidence. If he was so sure, why wasn't she?

"Are you really underestimating the greatest Shadowhunter of our time? I'm offended, Fray." Jace put a hand to his heart in mock hurt.

"Last time I checked, I think I was slightly better than you," Clary teased.

Jace's eyes widened. "You did not just go there."

Clary laughed, and Isabelle whipped her head around to narrow her eyes at the both of them. "Keep it down, you two. Unless you want the Seelie Queen to come running out here and drag Clary back to her lair by her ear, I suggest you shut it."

Jace rolled his eyes at his adopted sister, but he crossed his arms and quietly followed her to the shore of the lake.

"Magnus, you remember what to do, right?" Isabelle whispered.

Magnus glared at Izzy with his bright yellow eyes. "It's not like you've drilled it into my head for the past week or anything." Staring intently at the lake's rippling surface, blue sparks began to shoot out of the tips of his fingers until the water began churning and circling, creating a large open space. Many florescent colors began to mix into the churning water, and if Clary hadn't been so frozen in shock she would have killed to have her hands on paint and canvas. Suddenly, the colors shifted, and Clary could see straight into the Queen's very courtroom. The curtain of butterflies still fluttered over the entryway, and the room held the same air of stiff elegance and forbidding as it did last time. And the Queen, if it were possible, had not changed a bit. Her hair cascaded down in her throne in blood red waves, and her pale yellow dress was moving about as if it was made of something alive. At closer look, Clary noticed that the Seelie Queen's dress was also made of tormented butterflies, and she thought she was going to be sick. If she tortured something that had done her no harm, how would the Queen treat someone who had practically ruined her life?

Swallowing her fears, she looked up to see everyone watching her intently. They had moved far away from her so the Queen wouldn't be able to see them, leaving Clary alone to stare at the faerie queen. It only took a few moments until the Queen looked up and met Clary's bright green eyes. Her bright red lips instantly curled into a forbidding grin.

"Clarissa Morgenstern, my dear. How lovely it is to see you again."

Clary's blood immediately turned into ice as soon as the Seelie Queen's chilly voice broke the silence. "Is it, now?"

Pursing her lips, the Seelie Queen responded, "You are beginning to sound an awful like the Herondale boy. Spending a lot of time with him lately, have you?"

"That's not the point," Clary stated, hoping that it was dark enough that no one would notice the slight color to her cheeks. "I'm here now. Like you asked."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Where are your little Shadowhunter friends? I almost miss them. I did grow rather fond of them."

Clary's heart was beating so hard she was surprised it hadn't burst out of her chest yet. "I came alone." She could feel the others tensing up, hands flying to hover over their weapons. Their plan didn't seem so brilliant anymore.

Suddenly, screeching was heard in the distance. Clary turned to see a group of faeries dressed in dark red, eyes glistening with blood lust. Their bows were pointed at her friends' necks faster than Clary had any time to react. Standing here, caught up in the middle of another battle, she realized how stupid she had been. She had been too hopeful, to drunken with the fact that she had defeated Sebastian. She was not invincible. She was Clary, a short red-headed teenager who wasn't even a Shadowhunter yet. The want to be a normal teenager again was so powerful that Clary had to squeeze her eyes shut and wait for the nostalgic feeling pass. As soon as she opened them, she immediately found Jace, who was staring at her with such a complete look of helplessness that it broke her heart. They both knew the predicament they were in. If Jace tried to do anything, something would surely happen to Clary, or Magnus, or Izzy, or any of the others that had bows centimeters from their throats.

"Leave them alone," Clary whispered. "I'll come with you, without any fighting, if you just let them all go."

The Seelie Queen simply laughed, something that would echo in Clary's mind for the rest of her remaining days. "It's too late for that. Did you really think I would be such a fool, Shadowhunters? That I would be so dimwitted as to fall for your little trap? You should know better than anyone, Clarissa, that I know everything. I see everything. "

"Please."

"Your begging is unflattering, Clarissa."

She had no other choice anymore. She stepped closer to the edge of the lake, the waters lapping slightly at her toes. She couldn't turn around, face the people she loved the most, knowing she may never see them again. How many times could her heart break? Were there any more pieces of heart left anymore? She wasn't sure. She just prayed that this one time she could save everyone. If there was one time she could do everything right, it had to be now.

The water covered her boots now, and Clary prepared herself to jump into the icy waters. What she was not expecting was a warm hand to shoot out and grab her by the collar of her jacket. She stumbled back into a familiar chest, and as muscular arms wrapped around her waist, she wanted to scream. Jace needed to let her go.

"I swear to God I am not losing you again, Fray," he muttered, as the faerie warriors screeched again and pointed their bows towards Jace and Clary.

"You've made your choice, then," the Seelie Queen said, and she seemed all too pleased that things had occurred the way they did. The last thing Clary saw was the Seelie Queen's victorious smirk, before the faerie warriors disappeared into the darkness and the only thing the lake reflected was the pale, mundane moon, blinking a feeble eye as if death's crooked hands were held out in an ominous greeting.


End file.
